World Traveler Rachael Jerahian Completes Trek Across 50 US States
Noted producer and travel expert Rachael Jerahian recently announced the completion of the American portion of an all-inclusive world tour that she began in July of 2018.
Thus far, Rachael has consecutively visited each of the 50 states, chronicling that journey in a series of intimate portraits and blogs for her website.
The US Tour: Notes From the Road
In 6 ½ months of intense travel, Rachael learned more about the wide-ranging scope of the US than most learn in a lifetime spent staying home. From glaciated mountains in Washington to the sun-parched deserts of Nevada, Rachael’s journey was an intense exploration of what it means to be an American and live in a land rich with natural wonder.
From New Mexico: “In the evenings, in front of the Carlsbad Cavern, they offer bat shows starting around sunset … you will get to see them all fly out in a tornado shape before taking off for the evening to feed. It was surreal to be able to see this in person. The best part of this nature show? Well, it’s free!”
From Idaho: “I drove from Idaho to Montana and unbeknownst to me, took one of the most scenic drives of my entire life … with the sound of the river following next to me, birds chirping above me and mountains protruding into the sky, I felt like I was in a dream …”
In over 35,000 traveled miles that included 25 national parks and countless national and state forests, Rachael’s tour included a vast array of scenic wonders. But she chronicled instances of historical beauty, as well:
From Washington: “Whidbey Island makes you feel like you are in a Fairytale … beautiful greenery, lush forests and the most perfect beaches … The houses on the island are older and a lot are Victorian. It’s a very rare combination when the architecture and landscape are equally as beautiful.”
Other US Tour Highlights
Rachael completed an impressive array of site explorations that include mountain climbing (Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Washington both), rock climbing in multiple states, as well as plumbing the depths of the Grand Canyon, and camping on the frozen glaciers of Alaska. Along the way, Rachael immersed herself in each local community, with the invaluable help of many state tourism boards:
“I met so many wonderful people who worked on the state tourism boards — they’re a wealth of information … I really tried to get a feeling of what the local communities were like in each area I visited, and I stayed openminded to the experiences. Each day was something different, a new adventure, and I kept going into each experience without judgment,” said Rachael.
The Grand Slam World Tour: A Journey Both Physical and Spiritual
Before the age of 30, Rachael lost both of her parents to cancer. And though she discovered that tragedy was an unavoidable part of human life, Rachael also realized that how one handles such tragedies is the true definition of character. Surviving this intense crucible of grief, Rachael decided to travel the world as a living example of perseverance, love, and resilience.
Scheduled to begin in 2019, Rachael is currently planning the next leg of her trip: A visit to each of the 195 countries of the world. Her Explorer’s Grand Slam will then continue with Rachael scaling the highest peaks of all seven continents, before finishing up with an extreme skiing trip to both the North and South Poles.
Follow Rachael Jerahian’s Grand Slam Exploration on social media:
